Rained In: an Original Musical
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Belmont University Belmont Digital Repository Honors Theses Belmont Honors Program Spring 4-20-2020 Rained In: An Original Musical Naomi Krizner [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.belmont.edu/honors_theses Part of the Composition Commons, Fiction Commons, and the Playwriting Commons Recommended Citation Krizner, Naomi, "Rained In: An Original Musical" (2020). Honors Theses. 2. https://repository.belmont.edu/honors_theses/2 This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Belmont Honors Program at Belmont Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Belmont Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Table of Contents Title Page ......................................................................................................................... Page 2 Cast of Characters ............................................................................................................ Page 3 Act 1, Scene 1 .................................................................................................................. Page 4 Act 1, Scene 2 .................................................................................................................. Page 11 Act 1, Scene 3 .................................................................................................................. Page 29 Act 1, Scene 4 .................................................................................................................. Page 37 Act 1, Scene 5 .................................................................................................................. Page 48 Thesis Reflection ............................................................................................................. Page 50 2 RAINED IN A One Act Musical By: Naomi Krizner 3 Cast of Characters TATE 32 years old, a narrow-minded and untrusting man EMSLEY (also EMILY) 10 years old, a sassy and curious girl daughter NEBBY Unknown age, a cave demon ABADDON Unknown age, a cave demon 4 ACT 1, SCENE 1 Curtains open to show a young child walking by the entrance of a cave. She isn’t paying much attention to her surroundings. Instead, she is looking fearfully at the sky. There is a large thunderclap; she gasps and cowers, looking for shelter. Another loud thunderclap is heard, and she runs into the cave. Lightning flashes, and she gasps again, this time hearing her own echo. She turns around to see where she ran to. A voice is heard coming from deeper in the cave. TATE [voice creaky] Who’s there? EMSLEY [unsure] Uhhh...who’s asking? EMSLEY begins walking towards the voice and finds TATE sitting down against a rock, staring at the wall in front of him. TATE doesn’t turn to acknowledge her. TATE [not particularly inviting] You can sit if you want. EMSLEY sits. There is a moment of silence. EMSLEY What are you looking at? TATE The world. EMSLEY [points at the wall] That? That’s not the world. TATE It’s mine. Another moment of silence. EMSLEY That’s a sad world. TATE Don’t act like yours is any different. 5 EMSLEY [shrugs] I like my world. TATE Ha. Then you don’t know enough. EMSLEY [turns her head to study Tate curiously] You’re really negative, mister. TATE finally turns to look at EMSLEY. He examines her critically for a moment or two, then suddenly throws his head back laughing. His laughter sounds forced and empty. TATE You’re a child, of course. You don’t get it. EMSLEY Get what? TATE What the world’s about. EMSLEY What’s it about? TATE Nothing. Just like that wall. It’s cold, and ugly, and stands in the way. EMSLEY [staring curiously at him] Stands in the way of what? TATE [snorting] Anything worthwhile. EMSLEY What’s worthwhile? TATE You ask a lot of questions; do you know that? EMSLEY You don’t give good answers. 6 EMSLEY (cont’d) TATE doesn’t respond. My name’s Emsley, by the way. TATE still doesn’t respond. What’s yours? TATE [irritated] So many questions. EMSLEY [quietly] You don’t have to be mean...I was just wondering. TATE [voice softens] I wasn’t trying to be mean. I’m sorry, sometimes I forget how to talk to people. Not a lot come around here. EMSLEY Well, why don’t you go out there? Nobody likes going into a cave. TATE That’s a little complicated– Sinister laughter is heard from even deeper in the cave. The source is unseen. EMSLEY is frozen and cannot hear the other voices. ABADDON [chuckling, not seen] Oh, is that so? Apparently, it’s complicated, Nebby. NEBBY [nervously, also not seen] It’s about to be complicated if he doesn’t shut up now, Abaddon. TATE But I’m not saying anything! ABADDON You’re saying more than you need to. 7 NEBBY Just stop talking, because you’re going to get reeled into having to tell her something! And then how are you going to explain the pathetic situation you’re in? ABADDON Maybe you just make her leave. NEBBY Yeah! Then you don’t have to explain at all! That’s way safer! TATE [echoing Nebby] That way is safer... A large thunder clap is heard. EMSLEY unfreezes. EMSLEY What’s complicated? TATE [quick to silence her, standing up] Nothing is. But you need to leave. EMSLEY Leave? Didn’t you just hear the thund– TATE [interrupting coldly] I don’t hear anything, so it’s time you get out of here. EMSLEY But I’m hiding here from the storm– TATE [towering over her] I don’t care. Get out. Get out! EMSLEY, confused, hurt, and slightly scared runs out of the cave. TATE collapses onto the ground. NEBBY That was a close one. You almost blew your cover, Tate. TATE [protesting] I did exactly what you told me to do! 8 ABADDON And one day, that won’t be enough. TATE [muttering] Nothing I do is ever enough for you. ABADDON Better to learn that now than later. NEBBY [menacing] Don’t get snappy. Do you really want people finding out about this? TATE [going to argue but decides to resign] I–no! No. No, I don’t. (#1) SECRETS Music begins. ABADDON and NEBBY remain unseen, yet their voices are heard on either side of TATE. ABADDON DON’T TALK, JUST SIT. QUIETLY KNIT TOGETHER, NO ONE BETTER FIGURE OUT YOU’RE STITCHED. WORDS PULL AT IT UNCENSORED. DON’T SURRENDER. NEBBY STAY HIDDEN. PLAY PRETEND. ABADDON and NEBBY SECRETS, THEY KEEP YOU SAFE FROM YOUR WEAKNESS. DON’T EAT AT YOUR BRAIN LIKE YOUR REGRETS. IF YOU NEVER SAY, YOU’RE A FREE MAN; DON’T SPEAK THEM. 9 NEBBY SHE TEMPTS YOUR TRUTH. DON’T GIVE THE ROOT KEEPS YOU DOWN, SPEAK YOU LOSE GROUND. YOUNG AND SENSELESS, HEARTS ARE RESTLESS. FOLLOW YOUR DOUBT, SEE SHE’S GONE NOW. ABADDON STAY HIDDEN. JUST PLAY DEAD. ABADDON and NEBBY SECRETS, THEY KEEP YOU SAFE FROM YOUR WEAKNESS. DON’T EAT AT YOUR BRAIN LIKE YOUR REGRETS. IF YOU NEVER SAY, YOU’RE A FREE MAN; DON’T SPEAK THEM. SECRETS, THEY KEEP YOU SAFE FROM YOUR WEAKNESS. DON’T TEAR AT YOUR BRAIN LIKE YOUR REGRETS. IF YOU NEVER SAY, YOU’RE A FREE MAN; DON’T SPEAK THEM. ABADDON NO ONE CAN HURT YOU, IF NOBODY KNOWS. NEBBY STAY IN THE CAVE WHERE THE DARK KNOWS THE MOST. TATE [stands up slowly] IF MY HEART REMAINS UNSPOKEN AND MY WALLS REMAIN UNBROKEN, THEN NONE HAVE EVER NOTICED; 10 TATE (cont’d) NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW ME. ABADDON and NEBBY NO ONE CAN HURT YOU, IF NOBODY KNOWS. STAY IN THE CAVE WHERE THE DARK KNOWS THE MOST. DON’T WHISPER SECRETS YOU DON’T WANT TO OWN. THE MORE THAT YOU GIVE THEM, THE MORE THAT THEY HOLD. TATE SECRETS, THEY KEEP ME SAFE FROM MY WEAKNESS. DON’T EAT AT MY BRAIN LIKE MY REGRETS. IF I NEVER SAY, I’M A FREE MAN... SECRETS, ABADDON and NEBBY THEY KEEP ME SAFE FROM MY NO ONE CAN HURT YOU, IF WEAKNESS. NOBODY KNOWS. DON’T TEAR AT MY BRAIN LIKE MY REGRETS. IF I NEVER SAY, I’M A FREE MAN; DON’T WHISPER SECRETS YOU I WON’T SPEAK THEM. DON’T WANT TO OWN. TATE MY HEART REMAINS UNSPOKEN; MY WALLS REMAIN UNBROKEN. TATE is left standing in the middle of the stage defeated, with a single light on him. He slowly sits down and puts his head in his hands. The light fades to dark. 11 ACT 1, SCENE 2 The lights remain off. Nothing is seen. Suddenly a voice breaks the silence. EMSLEY Hello? Mister? Are you in there? TATE Huh? A light comes on TATE as he scrambles to sit up. You came back? EMSLEY It’s still raining. More lights come up to reveal EMSLEY walking into the cave to meet TATE. TATE Oh. EMSLEY sits down next to TATE. EMSLEY I have a question. TATE [rolls his eyes] You have too many. EMSLEY [ignores the comment] Why did you get scared when I asked why you don’t leave? TATE [slightly offended] Scared? What do you mean I got scared? I didn’t get scared. EMSLEY Yeah you did. You started freaking out and told me to go away. TATE [looks away slightly embarrassed] Sure, but that doesn’t mean I was scared. 12 EMSLEY Yes, it does. I don’t think you know a lot about feelings. TATE What’s that supposed to mean? EMSLEY [giggling] Now you’re asking all the questions. TATE [rolling his eyes again] Oh, you want to be funny, huh? EMSLEY You’re the funny one. Sitting here in this big dark cave all by yourself. Rumbling laughter is heard from the back of the cave. EMSLEY freezes again and cannot hear ABADDON or NEBBY. ABADDON [chuckling] Did you hear that, Tate? You’re a joke to her. NEBBY I knew she would do this! Come into your safe haven just to tear you apart! ABADDON It’s the story of your life. TATE I don’t think that’s what she meant... ABADDON Oh, don’t fool yourself. You heard the kid. She’s laughing at you.